A brand new year inevitably brings with it a discussion on resolutions. And Lord Newborough is no exception.

The visionary farmer behind North Wales’s Rhug Estate is determined to drive his business to even greater success in 2015.

“The idea is to expand and strengthen the team,” says the 65-year-old, when I unexpectedly catch him at his Corwen Estate on New Year’s Eve. I wasn’t planning to interview him there and then but he was so sweetly accommodating that I couldn’t resist.

Certainly, since becoming the eighth Lord Newborough, Robert has turned the business from a low-input, low-output conventional farm into a thriving, organic enterprise complete with award winning shop, deli and grill.

There’s something about the fresh country air and acres of green fields that makes even the most hardened of junk food addicts want to evade the grip of fast food outlets and eat better.

“I think the popularity of the shop proves the point,” he says of our growing interest in ethical meat and artisan goods.

“Many people from Chester, Liverpool and beyond see it as a destination stop to stock up on quality produce, and lots of locals come in for Sunday lunches. There’s a really nice atmosphere here.”

Yet last year, there were an estimated 750, as well as a soaring interest in provenance. Even some burger vans, once the purveyors of the greasiest of patties, won’t even start up the grill unless ingredients are traceable and of the highest quality.

And McDonalds has just opened a ‘hipster’ cafe, selling lentils and quinoa.

I congratulate Lord Newborough on his foresight and call him a cultural pathfinder.

“I suppose that’s fair comment,” he laughs. “I am a trend setter and have been ahead of the game with certain things, especially the organic side.”

The Rhug Estate Farm started its organic conversion back in 1998 and is now fully certified by the Soil Association, supplying produce for some of the globe’s greatest hotels and restaurants.

“When we started farming organically, we had to think where we were going to sell the produce,” explains Robert.

“We went to Waitrose. But we didn’t want to be totally reliant on the supermarket, so we bought two vans to take to shows but they never got through our gates.

We did a trial run and they became incredibly popular here; so much so that we went on to open a shop and eating area.

The place began to look like Mumbai thanks to all the crowds.”

Diversification and expansion became the natural order of things. But, according to Robert, the aim was not just to preserve land that’s been in his family for generations but to produce food that actually tasted good.

“I always wanted to secure the future of the estate,” he says. “But I looked at the world scene and knew I couldn’t compete. I was interested in organic farming and decided that it was better to be a niche producer than do things on a grand scale.”

Was his father happy with this relatively revolutionary view?

“Well, I only started farming here on the death of my father,” he says matter-of-factly. Adding: “North Wales wasn’t big enough for the two of us.”

Luckily, his ideology not only worked but resulted in year-on-year profits.

“The secret to our success is that we’ve modeled ourselves to produce the best quality we can.

I’m a great advocate of animal welfare and bringing animals up in a stress free environment.

It also helps that I have a brilliant team here in Rhug, who are equally dedicated to organic farming.”

Robert isn’t naive though. He knows that despite all the pleas from the farming industry, many of us are still guilty of choosing cheap imported meat over the more expensive, British alternatives. Fortunately, other countries don’t share our frugality.

“If you go elsewhere, consumer focus is on quality,” he says. “It’s a big thing in the Far East and Middle East as they’re sensitive to pollution and food. A vibrant economy means they’ll buy the best.”

There’s no doubt that Lord Newborough is passionate about the subject. In fact, like most farmers he believes that eating well isn’t that expensive when you look at the bigger picture and go back to basics.

“I obviously eat organic,” he says. “There’s no shrinkage and it cooks quicker. There are so many hidden benefits people don’t know about. Lamb is my great love and a simple roast is a favourite.”

So, what’s next on the agenda?

“I want to carry on sweating the assets in Rhug, and get the best from what we’ve got. But if I could achieve anything, I’d like to invest in wind and geothermal energy.

That’s part of my strategy. If you have water and land, you need to think how you can fully maximise it. Sustainability is so important.”

There’s little doubt that Robert is ambitious but he’s also practical and determined.

“I offer attention to detail,” he says, when asked how others would describe him. “Also, I never take ‘no’ for an answer.”

Unfortunately, he recently had to compromise on this when his life was threatened in West Africa.

“Protecting fish stocks in Sierra Leone has undoubtedly been my biggest challenge to date,” he says. “It was quite difficult and didn’t work in the end, which was very upsetting. I thought we were doing something hugely beneficial for the country as well as the local people.”

So has he really thrown in the towel?

“I’ve given up on that one,” he laments. “There were bullets flying and my life was being threatened.”

So, it’s back to organic farming for Lord Newborough. Not that it’s a huge hardship.

“I love what I do,” he says with absolute sincerity. “I get a big kick in talking to celebrity chefs and seeing our meat on their menus.

I would never think of not carrying things on. My daughter may not be interested in the business but I am. It motivates me and I get huge satisfaction in succeeding.”

But isn’t he worried about people copying him?

“No, not really,” he laughs.

“It’s good for the area and good for us. It keeps us ahead of the game.”